Entities, such as broadcasters, that receive, process and/or distribute content, in the form of electronic files containing audio-visual programs, typically make use of large systems for managing such content. For ease of discussion, the receipt, processing and/or distribution of content collectively comprise the general task of content workflow.
The processing of content within a particular content work flow can include various operations. A given operation, such as non-linear editing for example, will typically require at least one, and sometimes several different elements, each comprising either hardware, software, or a combination of both. In many instances, a single vendor might offer all of the elements necessary to carry out a given content processing operation or set of operations. However, other content processing operation can require elements from several different vendors.
The combination of elements from several different vendors to carry out one or more processing operations can pose problems in terms of content standardization. For example, within the media industry, hundred of solutions exist to manipulate the content by way of non linear editing. For this reason, some vendors offer equipment compatible with several known standardized formats, such as the Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) which makes use of an edit decision list with reference to the edited material. The AAF format has not enjoyed universal acceptance and typically finds application in specific areas like post production. The Material EXchange Format (MXF) has become a standard for streaming and storage of content and handles the transport of essence and metadata well, including multilayers and segment content. However, MXF only works well with for simple composite content and lacks universal applicability. For this reason, a number of suppliers of content process equipment support the AAF standard. However, present day solutions do not address operational aspects like task description, usage of the content, and priority.